


When in Gotham

by imaginisa



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Batman - All Media Types, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2017-11-05
Packaged: 2019-01-29 20:47:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12638859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginisa/pseuds/imaginisa
Summary: What if Gotham also exists in the new Arrow/Flash-verse on CW? What kind of heroes would it create?One thing is for sure, Batman has never been one to let others on his turf without his approval.





	1. The One With Two Problems

  


**Star City**

"Speedy…speedy, can you hear me?"

Thea Queen opened her eyes with a groan to see the worried face of her older brother looking down on her. "I'm…I'm okay," she said. "Don't worry, Arrow."

Green Arrow didn't look convinced, and he supported her back with one hand as Speedy carefully wriggled into sitting position. "What happened?" asked Speedy.

"We got our asses kicked," replied Arsenal before Green Arrow could reply. Arsenal was using a wall to support himself, his left foot twisted in a position that looked extremely painful. Knowing how much force it took to do any damage to him, Speedy had to agree without even looking at how badly the rest of the team was injured.

"Everyone's alive," said Green Arrow firmly, glancing at Arsenal. "So we live to fight another day."

"We'll get our asses kicked again," said Arsenal flatly. "That  _thing_ we just fought can control lightning."

"And is built like a tank," added Spartan, who was currently still on the floor nursing his head.

Green Arrow looked around and sighed. "Fine…we can call them."

* * *

**Central City**

Barry Allen groaned as he woke up on the ground, with Caitlin and Cisco above him looking rather alarmed.

"So…you didn't get him?" asked Cisco.

Barry snorted. "No, I didn't get him."

"Damn," said Cisco.

"Vibe, shut up," said Caitlin. "Flash, are you okay?"

"Remember when people said that this Simon dude can brain-blast you?" said Barry, sitting up gingerly.

"Yeah?"

"I figured out what that meant."

"Sweet, what does it mean?"

"VIBE," complained Caitlin.

"It means it feels like your brain is melting," said Barry dryly.

Cisco looked horrified.

"So…we're calling Team Arrow?" asked Caitlin.

Barry nodded. "Yeah…we're calling them."

* * *

**Star City**

Thea perched herself on the edge of Oliver's bed and looked at him pointedly.

"I'm doing it, I'm doing it," grumbled Oliver. "Look," he held up his cell phone. "I'm calling Barry now."

"Just making sure," said Thea, not budging.

Oliver raised an eyebrow as he finished dialing.

Barry picked up on the second ring.  _"Oliver? I was just about to call you."_

Oliver and Thea exchanged glances as Oliver asked, "Really? Does your guy also shoot lightning from his hands?"

_"_ _No. My guy can control minds – wait…you have a lightning guy? What did you do, piss off Thor?"_

"You have a mind reader problem?" asked Oliver.

Thea groaned.

" _Yeah…but we lost him, so we can help you first…"_

"You  _lost_ him?"

There was muffled shouting in the background on Barry's end and Barry corrected,  _"Cisco wants me to say that we didn't lose him, he's just out of range and Vibe will be more than up to the task of finding him once Simon is in-range."_

"Simon?" asked Thea.

_"_ _Is that Speedy? Hi, Speedy! Yeah…he calls himself Simon. You know, like Simon Says?"_

It was silent for a moment on the Queen Mansion side of the line. "Why are the people you chase so, so weird?" demanded Thea.

_"_ _Hey! It's not my fault! Anyway, when do you want me over there? Cause I can go my way and be there quickly but if I'm trying to bring Caitlin and Cisco-"_

"Bring your whole team," interrupted Oliver. His headache was back.  _A mind-reader?_  "Let's just…let's just work together on these two."

* * *

**Star City**

Cisco sank onto a couch gratefully in the parlor of the Queen home. "Oh…I do love it when we visit this city."

"This isn't vacation, Cisco," complained Caitlin, putting down a heavy bag of equipment with a sigh.

"Why'd you bring so many things?" asked Thea, looking at the bulging bag suspiciously.

"Have you been developing equipment to combat a mind-reader?" asked Caitlin.

"Point taken," said Thea. "Want help taking it to the base?"

"Yeah, thank you," said Caitlin gratefully.

"Did I hear right?" asked Felicity, coming in with the rest of Team Arrow in tow (carrying a few dozen Subway sandwiches). "You were all attacked by a mind reader? And then you lost him?"

"He wasn't lost!" protested Cisco.

"Yes, he was," muttered Caitlin.

"Let's just find Thor first, shall we?" said Barry quickly.

"Thor?" asked Roy.

"Your person needs a name, doesn't he?"

Roy shrugged. "He didn't look like a Thor. More like a…Storm."

"Storm, huh?"

"Mr. Thunder," said Diggle solemnly, and everyone laughed.

Fighting a smile, Oliver said. "Come on, Cisco. Do your thing. Let's see if Mr. Thunder is one of your metahumans."

With a dramatic flourish, Cisco pulled his enhanced visors out from his pocket and said, "Watch Vibe at work…"

Thea snorted.

Cisco ignored her and put on the visors. About two seconds later he swore. "SHIT!"

"WHAT!?"

"Fucking-Simon-is-in-Central-City-and-he's-getting-away!"

"What-do-you-mean-he's-getting-away?" demanded Barry.

"He's-going-he's-going," Cisco continued to babble with very few people in the room following him. "He's-going-SHIT-THE-LIGHTNING-PERSON-IS-WITH-HIM! They're gone."

"Gone?" repeated Barry.

"That's the ONLY word I got," complained, Roy. "Since when can you talk at super speed, Cisco?"

"How could they be  _gone_?" demanded Oliver.

"They moved out of range," said Cisco. "It's like they were in a really fast moving car or…or a train!"

"The train station is only about six miles from here," said Felicity.

"Where exactly?" said Cisco.

Felicity pulled up Google Maps on her phone and showed him.

"That's what they did," said Cisco with finality. "They got on a train that left almost exactly when I started vibing."

"Fuck," said Thea. "They could be anywhere!"

"Actually," said Oliver, looking up from his own phone. "Only one train has left in the past five minutes." He held up his phone and the displayed the words:

"DESTINATION: GOTHAM"


	2. The One with the Circus Act

**On-Route to Gotham**

"Doesn't Gotham have its own vigilante?" Thea asked Roy.

Everyone was in one of the Queen Company's semi-private passenger jets. They were supposed to be either (a) reading a packet about everything they knew about mind reading and people who could control lightening or (b) reading a much more boring packet about Queen Consolidated because their cover for the few days they would be in Gotham was that Queen Consolidated wanted to ask Wayne Industry to partner with them to build a new Star Labs.

"Yeah," said Roy, looking up. "He's the Batman…I think."

"The Batman?" Thea snorted. "Why?"

"Cause his outfit looks like a bat and he probably uses echolocation technology and stuff like that," said Cisco from behind them. "And he has a sidekick that calls himself Robin."

"Batman and Robin?" Thea shook her head. "What are they – a circus act?"

* * *

**Gotham**

"…which means that you probably can't 'vibe' Simon for more than a few seconds, otherwise he may create a mind-link with you and find all of us," finished Caitlin.

Cisco swallowed nervously.

"And since we're in a hotel room we're extremely exposed," added Oliver.

"You checked the perimeter twice already," complained Barry. "And then you made me do it, too."

"Barry," said Oliver impatiently. "This is Gotham. _Gotham_. Where there are villains that kill and attack the other villains, and psychopaths break out of prison every other week. This is Star City with extra evil. I'm not taking any chances."

"Yeah, but we can handle it," said Barry confidently. "We're the Arrow and the Flash!"

"AND THAT'S THE BATMAN!"

At Cisco's yell, everyone jumped and looked out the window. Then there was instantly a mad rush for the window (with Barry getting there long before anyone else). A few jaws fell open as they watched a figure clad head-to-toe in formable black body-armor. His belt was bristling with technology and his outfit was completed with a heavy cape that looked as if it were made of thick Kevlar. He swung from one building to the other on thick rappelling lines.

A few seconds later, a much nimbler figure came running across one of the buildings, going in the same direction,  _jumped_ across the gap between the buildings, doing several mid-air flips to stabilize his landing on the next roof and kept going. The smaller man was also clad in black, with the added accent of a red cape and with a pattern of red wings across his chest.

"And Robin," added Caitlin in a small voice.

"FUCK YEAH!" cheered Cisco. "Did you see them just jump across buildings like that?!"

"Stop yelling," said Oliver shortly.

Cisco pouted until Roy whispered. "I thought it was pretty cool, too."

"Hey, Ollie," said Barry suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think…maybe we should tell Batman that we're here?"

Oliver frowned as he looked at the younger man. "Why?"

"Well…it's kind of his territory, right?" said Barry. "Like…I know you'd get pretty angry if another vigilante came to Star City and I'd want to know who someone was if they showed up at mine."

"That's why we do this quickly and quietly and get out," said Oliver firmly. "I don't want us to have to waste time going through a psycho vigilante."

"Isn't that what we are?" asked Thea.

"Last I checked, none of us were crazy," said Oliver flatly.

There was a pause. Then, "have you met yourself?" asked Cisco.

The look Oliver gave him sent Cisco running out the door saying something about getting coffee.


	3. The One with the Dumpsters

They were about halfway to Simon's and Mr. Thunder's hideout (an abandoned warehouse, go figure) when they came.

"You're a long way from home."

Oliver spun around, arrow raised, and eyes narrowed. Everyone else was a bit slower. Barry was waaaay ahead, scouting out the warehouse.

The Batman was behind them, his entire body obscured by that thick, black cape and face hidden behind an impressive cowl.

"We're looking for someone," said Green Arrow, not lowering his bow. Arsenal and Speedy followed suit, and Spartan reached for his staff. Vibe just backed up a bit nervously, wishing he was back at the "base" with Felicity and Caitlin.

"Not in my city," said Batman. His voice was rough, low. It kind of reminded every one of Arrow, actually.

"These two villains are our problem," said Green Arrow. "Let us pass and we shall apprehend them and leave."

"What gives you the right to make decisions about what happens in my city?" asked Batman.

"That's what Barry said," Cisco muttered to himself.

"We've been tracking our men for several days-" tried Green Arrow.

"Then I commend you on your tracking abilities," Batman interrupted. "But, I'll take care of it."

There was a rush of air and suddenly Flash was there. "Batman, we don't want any trouble," Flash began.

"If you come into my city without an invitation," said Batman flatly. "Then you are asking for trouble."

"With all due respect," said Flash. "You're outnumbered."

Robin dropped from the top of the nearby building, landing with a foot on each of Arsenal's shoulders. Robin used him as a stand to do a somersault even as Arsenal dropped to the ground with a surprised yelp. Robin's second jump put him right next to Speedy where he grabbed onto the arrow she was holding and pulled her forward so that she landed on top of a recovering Arsenal. Robin ducked the arrow Green Arrow had shot at him, grabbed Arsenal's left wrist and handcuffed it to a dumpster. He ducked Speedy's punch, grabbed that hand and handcuffed it to Roy's other hand.

Flash tried to go help but Batman had already thrown something on the ground that exploded into some sort of anti-friction slime that sent Flash sliding across the alley and into a wall the second he tried to step on it.

Robin handcuffed Speedy's other hand to another dumpster.

Flash hit the wall with so much force (from the inertia of his own speed) that he slumped down onto the ground in a daze.

Perhaps forty seconds had passed. Arsenal and Speedy were handcuffed to each other, and to two different dumpsters. Flash was unconscious.

"You were saying?" asked Robin cheekily.

Green Arrow didn't reply as he brought his bow around in a wide arc towards Robin's face. Robin ducked easily and somehow ended up behind Green Arrow but when Green Arrow spun around to attack him again, he found himself face-to-face with Batman.

"Spartan!" Green Arrow yelled, as he jumped back and drew an exploding arrow. Batman ducked at the last second and it exploded against a wall. Speedy was yelling obscenities uselessly in the background.

"I'm busy!" yelled Spartan as he tried to punch Robin in the face, only to end up on the ground as Robin somehow managed to trip him.

Green Arrow let three arrows go in quick succession, but Batman caught them all on his cape where they pierced but caused no damage.

"VIBE!" yelled Arsenal. Vibe – on the other side of the alley – gulped but started trying to sneak around Robin-fighting-Spartan and Batman-fighting-Green-Arrow to go free the other young members of Team Arrow.

But Batman took three seconds to throw some sort of boomerang that left Vibe pinned to the wall by the collar of his shirt. "SHIT!" yelled Vibe, throwing his hands in front of his face. "I'M NOT GOOD AT THIS STUFF!"

Robin laughed. A high, care-free laugh of a child. Spartan was so taken aback that he dropped his concentration for less than a second.

It was enough.

Robin's next punch caught him in the stomach, and then an elbow went to Spartan's face, and then he was handcuffed along with basically everyone else.

"Arrow!" yelped Vibe.

"Shut up!" Green Arrow snapped, not taking his eyes off Batman.

"LOOK OUT!"

Green Arrow ducked just in time as Robin came sailing through the area that had been occupied by his head. Batman took advantage of the distraction to release some sort of smoke bomb and Green Arrow found himself in the center of a dark grey cloud. He turned slowly in a circle, listening. A slight hiss made him duck the first two boomerang things. But the third caught him in the left arm. Then an armored fist was sailing towards his head and everything went dark.

* * *

"Oliver?" This time it was Oliver opening his eyes to Thea's concerned gaze. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Oliver snapped. He looked around at his friends. "Did we just get beat by two people in less than two minutes?"

"I think it took three," said Cisco in a quiet voice.

"As soon as we get back to Star City," said Oliver, ignoring their youngest member. "You two" – he glared at Roy and Thea – "Are doing extra training."

It was a sign of how embarrassed they were that neither of them protested.

"And  _you_ ," Oliver looked at Cisco. "Need to learn how to throw a punch."

Cisco nodded mutely.

"Our guys?" Oliver asked Barry as the Flash zoomed into view.

"Gone," said Barry, irritated. "Mr. Bat must have scared them off."

Oliver looked murderous.

"So…are we going home?" asked Cisco.

"I'm not letting a guy who calls himself  _Batman_  and wears a  _cape_ scare us off," growled Oliver. "We're finding your mind reader and my Electro-person and taking care of them our way. But first…" He took a deep breath. "First we better go research more on the competition. At least now we know some of the weapons he uses."

"Like custom baterangs," said Cisco.

"Yes, like custom…" Oliver processed his words and looked at him. "Baterangs?"

"Yeah," Cisco held up one of the boomerang things. It was shaped like a bat.

After shocked silence, Thea threw up her hands, "WHY ARE ALL VIGILANTES SO WEIRD?!"


	4. The One with Wayne Industries

**Wayne Industries – Lobby**

"Why are we here…?" Barry muttered to Caitlin as they waited in the  _very_ nice lobby of the Wayne Industries' main building.

"Because we're the representatives of Star Labs in Central City," muttered Caitlin. She was skimming the old Star Lab permission documents on her tablet. "Shouldn't you be reading this stuff?" she hissed at Barry.

"I read it all earlier," Barry replied. He looked around the lobby and got up to give a framed picture on the wall a better look. "Is this Bruce Wayne as a child?" he asked, pointing at the small, smiling figure in the center.

Oliver looked up from skimming his own information on his cell phone and nodded. "Yeah, those are his parents…they died years ago. I think Wayne was only about ten at the time."

Barry frowned, turning back to examine the photo. "That must have been tough," he muttered.

"Mr. Queen?" a young voice asked. The entire group turned to see a young man, somewhere in his late teens or early twenties, striding towards them from the elevator. "You're Mr. Oliver Queen, right? I recognize you from TV."

"I am," said Oliver. He stood and shook the hand the youth offered to him.

"I'm Dick Grayson," said Dick. "I'm Mr. Wayne's adopted son. I'm working here this summer and I managed to get permission to show you and your party up. I saw your campaign for Mayor last year. Very impressive."

"Thank you, Mr. Grayson," said Oliver. He looked so pleased that Barry almost started laughing. "This is my sister, Thea," said Oliver, ushering her forward. "And our associates from Central City, Dr. Caitlin Snow and Mr. Barry Allen."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," said Dick with a handsome smile. "Welcome to Wayne Industries. Bruce is waiting for you all upstairs. Shall we get going? Oh, and would you like for us to send your driver some refreshments while he waits? I noticed you had a car parked outside."

"I'm sure Diggle will like that," said Oliver.

The high-speed elevator made short work of 47 stories, leaving Barry mildly impressed and Caitlin mildly nauseous. The doors opened up onto a floor that was just as spacious and well-lit as the lobby, where well-dressed men and women greeted Dick by name as they hurried past. A few even said, "Welcome, Mr. Queen" which the group found both unsettling and highly amusing.

Young Dick Grayson led them to a conference room that had a spectacular view of the Gotham skyline, where a large conference table was already stocked with artisan coffee and fresh-baked scones. Two men were sitting there conversing easily.

"Hi Bruce," said Dick, grinning at the taller man. "May I introduce Mr. Queen, his sister, and Barry Allen and Dr. Snow from the old Star Labs."

"Thanks, Dick," said Wayne. "Lucius has some things he wants you to look at in the labs."

"Can I stay?" Dick asked.

Wayne looked at his son, Dick grinned at him, and Barry found himself impulsively saying, "The kid can stay here, he seems trustworthy enough."

The look that Oliver and Wayne gave him were so similar it was almost scary. But then Wayne chuckled and motioned for everyone to take a seat.

"This is my head of research and development, Mr. Lucius Fox," Wayne said, indicating the man to his left.

"Ms. Snow, it is a pleasure to meet you," said Fox, shaking her hand first. "I've read all of your papers on interdimensional physics. Simply astounding. I would nominate you for a Noble Prize if I could."

"Why…thank you," said Caitlin, looking simply astounded.

"Wait…is she  _the_ Dr. Snow?" asked Dick. "The one who worked with Dr. Wells?!"

"This is she," said Fox, smiling. "Why do you think that I insisted upon attending this meeting?"

"That's awesome!"

"Dick," warned Wayne.

"Sorry…calm and composed, I got it."

"Don't worry," said Oliver cheekily. "You remind me of Barry."

"Hey," complained Barry. Everyone chuckled. Then there was a definite 'get down to business' shuffling of papers, turning on of tablets, and pouring of coffee.

Oliver talked about how his company wanted to bring back Star Labs but about how they didn't deal in pure research and investors were hesitant to add such a new division to the company. But Wayne Industries did research and perhaps a partnership would be possible. Caitlin and Barry talked about the newest research they had been doing (taking out most of the details as those involved the speed-force, metahumans, and fighting crime but the science was still cool). Wayne and Fox talked about how interesting everything sounded and about the Wayne Industry research that may be compatible with things once done in Star Labs. And Dick sat there looking excited and Thea sat there trying not to look bored.

_At least the scones are good,_ Thea thought to herself, helping herself to her third.  _And this Dick Grayson kid is pretty cute…how old is he anyway? He talks like he has a Ph.D. already, but looks younger than me._

"Well," said Wayne, after more than an hour and a half of this. "I will be honored to bring your proposal to the board meeting in two weeks. Perhaps I can even arrange for you to be invited, Mr. Queen."

"I appreciate that," said Oliver. "But I really must get back to Star City by the end of the week."

"Then perhaps we can meet one more time to discuss a few details further?" asked Wayne.

"Unfortunately I'm already quite booked for the rest of the time we're here," said Oliver regretfully. "I'm meeting with several important investors while I am here."

Wayne frowned slightly, "Then how about dinner tonight? My butler makes excellent Italian food."

"I'm flattered," said Oliver. "But our party is quite large. In addition to Mr. Allan, Ms. Snow, and Thea we have three more people with us."

"All the more reason for you to come have dinner with us!" said Dick brightly. "You'll have a hell of a time going anywhere with that many people. All the food here is either greasy-take-out stuff or you need a reservations  _weeks_ ahead of time."

"He has a point," said Wayne.

Oliver hesitated, but there was simply no way he could refuse without seeming rude. And it was always best to be on the good side of as powerful and rich a man as Bruce Wayne.

"We'd be honored," he said. Only Thea knew him well enough to see that he was gritting his teeth.

* * *

"Are they important beyond just the association with Star Labs, Mr. Wayne?" asked Lucius shrewdly as a chattering Dick led Oliver Queen and his colleagues back down.

"You'd be surprised," said Bruce with a small grin.

Lucius snorted. "I work for the Batman," he huffed. "Things stopped surprising me long ago."


	5. The One with the Dinner Party (Part 1)

**Wayne Manor**

"I can't believe you got us invited to a mansion for dinner!" Cisco whispered with awe as they pulled up to the front door of Wayne Manor.

"I can't believe you got us into this mess," Roy muttered at the same time.

Cisco looked at him. "Why aren't you excited?"

"We should be out there catching super-villains," Roy snapped. "Not kissing some rich person's ass."

"We may need this particular rich person someday," said Oliver firmly. "Just deal with it for about an hour and then we'll be off to fight crime – okay?"

"How can a limo feel so damn crowded?" muttered Diggle to himself. To everyone else, he said, "Get out. I can see the butler staring at us through the window."

Everyone piled out, straightening unfamiliar ties and dresses as they went and, sure enough, a butler opened the front door before they could reach the door.

"Welcome," said the butler. "I heard the car. May I take your coats?"

Before anyone could respond, a young voice called faintly from the back of the house: "Are they here, Alfred?"

"They are, Master Dick."

Dick Grayson came running in without a shirt. "Damn it!" he yelped. "Alfred – where did you put all of my clean shirts?!"

"They're hanging in the laundry room, Master Dick," said Alfred. He didn't even look fazed. "I pressed them for you."

"Right…thanks!" He ran off again, leaving a bemused Felicity blinking and Cisco laughing quietly.

"Was that Dick?" Wayne asked by way of greeting as he came down the stairs.

"Yes, Master Bruce. He couldn't find his clean shirts. I'm glad to see you had no problems with that."

"Alfred, you've been hanging the pressed shirts in the laundry room since I was ten," said Wayne. "I would hope I knew to check it first."

"Master Dick seems to have forgotten to learn this lesson," said Alfred dryly as he put up the last of the coats. "I'll have the appetizers on the table shortly."

"Okay! I'm here!" Dick came skidding into the room. He turned to Roy and said brightly, "Hi! I don't think I met you earlier – I'm Dick."

"Roy," said Roy. "I work for the Queens."

"Not a bad gig," said Dick, still grinning easily.

Roy shrugged modestly. "It has its perks."

Cisco stuck out his hand, "Hi! I'm Cisco!"

Oliver tried to not roll his eyes as he followed Wayne to the dining room. He had to admit, the smells coming from the kitchen were amazing.

 


	6. The One with the Dinner Party (Part 2)

**(Still) Wayne Manor**

"Well, Oliver," said Wayne as they entered the dining room. "I do have those last few bits of business to discuss with you, Dr. Snow, and Barry. Perhaps we could talk briefly while Dick gives the others a tour of the house?"

"Well, all right," said Ollie, a bit surprised. He really hadn't expected Wayne to be this interested in restarting Star Labs.

"You know," said Barry quickly. "I think Dr. Snow is more than capable of leading the conversation, I'd love a tour."

"Sweet!" Said Dick, jumping up. "Come on!"

Caitlin shot Barry an exasperated look as Dick led the group away. Diggle shrugged and decided to stay with Oliver. You never do know with millionaires.

* * *

"And that's about it," said Dick as the group returned from a brief tour of the top stories. "There really should be more than just the three of us in this house but Bruce refuses to get married so there you go."

Roy stuck his head into a room at random and paused. "Hey...Dick, that's not Bruce, right?" Roy pointed and everyone more or less squashed inside. Dick's smile disappeared a bit as he looked at the painting over the mantel. "No...that's me and my parents. Bruce's are in the main lounge."

There was an awkward pause as the group took in the picture of the late Mr. And Mrs. Grayson with an eight-year-old Dick grinning up between them. "He had it made when I first moved here," explained Dick soberly. "He was trying to make sure that I knew it was okay to miss them and remember them, even if I was living here." Dick managed a smile. "He tries to act tough but Bruce is a softie." He motioned to the hallway with one hand, "Come on, the food's probably out by now."

Cisco, in the back of the group, respectfully closed the door on his way out.

* * *

Dick had been right, the food was out. And it was very good. They chatted their way through shrimp cocktails, prosciutto rolls, stuffed mushrooms and an amazing minestrone soup. Ollie realized about three minutes in that both Dick and Wayne were very good at keeping the others talking. Asking about research, the new rail line, what it was like to run for mayor, running a small business (mainly Thea) and applying to college (almost entirely Barry and Cisco) without giving much information about themselves. By the time the main course rolled around, Oliver had enough of this and began asking probing questions of his own.

"So, Dick, you're a Senior?" Oliver asked.

"Actually," said Dick. "I'm a sophomore but I'm taking classes in the community colleges."

"Wait," said Cisco. "You made it sound like you were applying to colleges already!"

"I am."

"Jesus," muttered Roy. "Do you ever have any fun?"

"Don't worry," said Dick with an impish smile. "I have plenty of extracurricular activities."

"He's the smartest young man at his school," said Bruce. Dick positively beamed at his adopted father and Barry found his heart doing a somersault in his chest. He'd looked that way when he was growing up; whenever Joe West had given him a compliment before Barry was sure if he was part of the West family or not. Being an adopted kid was hard, Barry mused. He was glad that Dick had found a good man to take him in. Not to mention that Wayne was up there with the five richest men in America. That helped, too.

Ollie was still trying to ask Wayne questions, which Barry thought was rude, until he caught on that - despite almost being at dessert - they still knew next to nothing about their host.

"...Gotham streets safer?" Finished Oliver.

"Oh, you mean the vigilante," said Wayne. "I don't know. I've never actually seen him."

"I don't think you need to have seen him in order to have an opinion," said Oliver.

"True," Wayne conceded. "I have mixed feelings, I guess. On one hand, he does accomplish what the police cannot. On the other...we never do know what he's going to do. Or her...you can't tell much of anything in those worthless photos the media has managed to get."

"Him," said Cisco.

"You sure?" Wayne asked.

"Ugh...I'm guessing by the height profile," said Cisco quickly.

"Where did you get a height profile?" Said Wayne, surprised.

Cisco changed tactics quickly, "It was probably some reporter making stuff up... But both Green Arrow and Flash are men so it doesn't seem too absurd."

"Women can be vigilantes," Thea said, incensed. Felicity nodded furiously.

"I'm not saying they can't!" Cisco protested.

"Tell me more about the Flash," said Dick eagerly, cutting into the brewing argument (Ollie sent Thea a warning look over his glass of wine). "Have you seen him?"

"Oh, once or twice," said Cisco airily. "But it's not really  _seeing_  you know. He's too fast to get a good look."

"Awesome," breathed Dick. Barry tried not to look pleased.

"How about you, Oliver?" Asked Wayne. "Especially as mayor-elect - how do you feel about a vigilante running around your city? Especially one who thinks a valid solution to corruption is killing."

There was a stressed pause, just long enough for Dick's smile to waver as he glanced between his adopted father and Oliver Queen.

"Ollie has a deal with the vigilante," said Thea in a rush. Too quickly. Ollie kicked her under the table but said smoothly enough, "That is true. He contacted me when I announced that I intended to run for mayor. I made it clear that if he killed anyone while I was around, I would hunt him to the ends of the earth."

Ollie kicked her under the table but said smoothly enough, "That is true. He contacted me when I announced that I intended to run for mayor. I made it clear that if he killed anyone while I was around, I would hunt him to the ends of the earth."

"And he agreed?" Wayne asked.

Oliver nodded. "I think he appreciated the honesty."

"Hmmm," said Wayne. "I don't know if I would trust a man like that...but it is your city, you know it better than me."

"Who do you think would win in a fight?" Piped up Dick. "The Arrow or the Batman?"

"The Arrow," said Roy and Diggle in tandem. Oliver was internally cringing. All of his instincts were screaming at him but for the life of him, he didn't know why.

"Cool! Why?" Said Dick eagerly. Diggle had to remind himself that the kid was fifteen, this was what fifteen-year-olds did. It was fine.

"The Arrow is...Ugh...he has more of a backbone," said Roy. "And a bigger team. Teams are important."

"Fair enough," said Dick. "I mean...I dunno about the backbone, you should read the news on the Batman. He does some crazy stuff, but the team thing makes sense." He turned to the Central City crew. "How about...Arrow versus the Flash?"

"They would probably tie," Said Barry.

"Really?" Dick was skeptical. "I thought Cisco said the Flash was so fast that you couldn't even see him."

"The Arrow has more experience," pointed out Oliver before he could stop himself.

"Okay, by that reasoning...Arrow is better than Batman and they're both better than the Flash?"

Cisco made a noise of protest that turned into a yelp of pain as Thea kicked him under the table. Wayne and Dick looked at him. "I...stubbed my own toe against the table leg," said Cisco lamely.

"Please be careful," Said Alfred, coming in with dessert. "The table is an antique."

"You know what's weird about that ranking?" Said Dick, completely absorbed in his own imagination. "Didn't Batman and Robin leave the team Arrow and team Flash combination tied to a couple of dumpsters last night?"

Silence.

Cisco's mouth dropped open. Caitlyn and Felicity both looked startled. Thea, Roy, and Diggle looked dumbfounded. Oliver froze, a smile plastered on his face.

Barry lunged forward to stop Wayne from doing whatever he was doing under the table but Wayne had been anticipating that and he managed to hit the remote in his pocket anyway.

That thick black smoke dropped from the ceiling and everything went dark.

"OH MY GOD!" Yelled Cisco.

The answer came in the form of that free-spirited laugh from last night that sent chills down everyone's spines just the same. Then everyone began to feel woozy.

"The smoke!" Yelled Oliver. "Try not to breathe it in!"

"Easier said...said...said than..." Felicity couldn't even finish before her eyes drifted shut.

* * *

Barry was the first one to open his eyes. His higher metabolism had burned right through the drug. Or, at least, part of the drug because he found he was paralyzed from the neck down. Which was rather terrifying for someone who spent all their time running around. He looked around, trying to calm his heart rate. He didn't think Wayne - the Batman - would leave them tied up, unable to move, for all of eternity. His friends were all slumped in chairs, as securely tied and probably as securely drugged as he was. The room they were in was dark except for the lights on the captives. But it felt big. Very big. Barry heard footsteps and decided to was best to pretend to be asleep.

"They should come around soon," said Wayne's voice.

"At least they didn't wake up while we were moving them," came Dick's.

"We took the necessary precautions to make sure that would not happen."

"Yeah, But we don't know that much about the Flash's metabolism," countered Dick.

Barry did his best to really look out of it until he heard Oliver groan. He waited until Oliver's breathing changed to that "oh shit we're in trouble" breathing pattern he had and then Barry pretended to wake up for the first time.

Barry could instantly see why Oliver was so worried. Batman and Robin stood before them in all of their caped glory - they'd even donned their masks, which was kinda stupid if you asked Barry.

And Batman looked angry.

Everyone else woke up at about the same time. Team Arrow's response was highly predictable.

"DICK GRAYSON I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Threatened Roy.

"And that," said Wayne firmly. "Is why you're tied to a chair."


	7. The One with the Bats (actual bats, not people dressed as bats...only in this universe would a distinction need to be made)

**_Under_ Wayne Manor**

"Why are you here?" Batman Asked.

"We told you!" Said Arrow, internally seething. "We're here to catch two men who were wrecking havoc in our respective cities. If you would untie us..!"

"No," said Batman shortly. "Why are you here, in my city, without my permission?"

Oliver bristled. "We're trying to help people!"

"As I said during dinner, Arrow, you're a killer," Said Batman flatly. "And I don't trust you."

"Hold on a minute," protested Flash. "That was the old Arrow. This is the new,  _Green_  Arrow."

"He's right," Said Arrow. "I'm not that man anymore."

"And yet your partner is threatening to kill mine," Said Batman.

"That was an expression!" Protested Arsenal. "Besides - We're not the psychos tying their dinner guests to chairs."

"Or to dumpsters!" Put in Thea.

Robin shrugged. "We wanted to see how good you were."

"And we are not impressed," Said Batman. "I want you out of this city."

"We're not leaving until we do what we came to do," snapped Arrow.

Batman shrugged. "I do not think we need your assistance to catch your rogues," Said Batman. "You'll just get in the way."

Flash decided it was time to even the playing field. He could feel his toes again, which meant his speedy metabolism had run through the paralyzing agent. Quick as a, well, Flash, he shook himself out of the bonds and charged Batman, easily putting the older man in a headlock. "Look, Bats," began Flash.

Only to have the wind knocked out of him as Robin came sailing through the air and kicked him in the face.

"Oomph," Flash slumped over, dazed, but still holding onto Batman. Only to have Batman roll over on top of him. Flash had to admit that was effective, as he let go to dash out of range.

A bit warier, Flash paused to take stock of the situation.

"Super speed isn't everything," Said Batman, not even winded.

"Flash!" Complained Arrow. "Don't be an idiot!"

"Shut up," muttered Flash. He charged again, running around and around Batman and Robin with the intention of starving them of oxygen and having them pass out. But they both unhooked electronic grappling hooks from their belts and shot them at the ceiling so that they rose up, out of the danger zone. Flash changed tactics and focused on channeling the lightning that was generated when he ran. When he had a sizable bunch, he let it loose at the ceiling.

Or, what he thought was the ceiling.

The blast of lightning kept going up.

There was a moment of silence. A small explosion. And then an angry, animal shriek filled the air.

"Oh crap!" Yelped Robin. He and Batman dropped to the ground and ducked down in the brace position.

"Get down!" Batman snapped at Flash.

Flash did so just as the swarm of angry bats came down from the ceiling.

Thea let out a stream of expletives as Cisco screamed. Everyone else just ducked down as best they could as the bats darted around and then disappeared back into the darkness of the cavern-like room that they now realized was..."A bat cave!" Said Felicity. "You have a literal bat cave."

But Batman and Robin ignored her, both of them looking at Flash who had now torn through his nice dinner clothing and was looking rather put out by the entire situation.

"You produce The lightning yourself?" Asked Batman. "Without the aid of technology?"

"Yeah, it's called the speed force-"

Oliver made an angry noise at the loss of yet another secret.

"We thought you made some gadget that generated it at high speeds," said Robin.

"Nope," Said Flash. "It's all me."

A huge smile spread across Robin's face and he looked expectantly at Batman.

"I have to admit," Said Batman. His face still neutral. "I am now impressed."

"All right!" Crowed Robin.

Oliver finally got himself loose and launched himself at Batman without a sound. Batman ducked in time, coming up to block Arrow's lunge with an armored forearm and then swinging his leg up to hit Arrow in the chest. Arrow took a step back, grinning, as he'd managed to get one of those weird bat-shaped-boomerangs from Batman's belt and was holding it like a dagger.

Robin used one of the hanging rappel lines to swing himself towards the back of Arrow's head. But Flash intercepted him and brought Robin down towards the ground. Robin shot out his left hand and most likely meant to use it for balance to go into a flip that would have ended with Flash getting kicked in the face. So Flash redoubled his grip and meant sure to slam Robin all the way onto the ground.

Unfortunately, the movement was accompanied by a sickening sort of crunch and Robin let out a shout of pain.

Batman's concentration broke for a second, his eyes glancing up to check on his partner. Arrow pressed his advantage, slashing the baterang thing again and managing to catch Batman across his jaw - one of the few areas not protected by his outfit. Batman responded by aiming an armored fist at Arrow's face. Arrow tensed, only to have Batman switch direction mid-swing to actually grab Arrow's wrist.

"Kid?" Flash asked, even as he sat on Robin's legs to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. "You okay?"

"You broke my wrist!" Robin snapped, feeling it gingerly with his other hand. "Idiot - we were about to ask if you wanted to team up! You could have waited two more seconds."

"What?" Said Flash blankly.

Robin rolled his eyes. "This was a test - we couldn't just have amateurs running around Gotham in costumes, now could we?"

"Amateurs?!" Spluttered Flash.

"I tied your partners to a dumpster," Robin reminded him. "Look...you need our help, but we need your help. Can we talk about it civically?"

"Ugh...sure," Said Flash. "One moment."

He dashed away and pulled Arrow back so that there were a good ten feet between him and Batman.

"What are you doing?!" Arrow hissed at him.

"UNTIE US!" Six people bellowed.

Flash ignored all of them and looked at Batman. "What's this about teaming up?"

"We are NOT teaming up!" Protested Arrow.

Batman went over to kneel down by Robin. The teenager had sat up and was examining his wrist gingerly. Batman gently took the injured wrist and pulled back the partial gloves on the outfit to examine it. "You'll be fine," Batman murmured to his young partner. "But you won't be able to use it for a few days."

"Absolutely fantastic," Robin huffed.

Batman looked up at Flash and Arrow. "I don't like you, Arrow-"

"The feeling is mutual," Arrow growled.

"-but your partner had a point at dinner. There are more of you and we need more muscle - our run-in with Simon last night after dealing with you taught us that much."

Robin nodded, his expression flashing through something dark before smoothing over.

"And the two of you have been effective in your respective cities," conceded Batman. "But you must understand I couldn't just let you operate within Gotham without laying down some ground rules."

"We TOLD you!" Complained Cisco.

"Why not just talk to us?" Pointed out Felicity.

Batman snorted. "We all lie as easily as we breathe, it comes with the job description."

Thea started laughing. "You could have just asked Cisco."

"I'm not that bad at lying," Cisco Complained. "I'm as good as Felicity."

"I've improved!" She protested.

"I hope you have," Said Batman dryly. He pulled back his cowl and was once again Bruce Wayne. Albeit with a bruise forming and a line of blood across his jaw. "Oliver, if I hadn't decided to trust you, you wouldn't know who I was," he said simply.

Robin took this as a cue and also took the mask off his face. Once again looking into the kids blue eyes, Barry was suddenly sure that the two Gotham vigilantes were telling the truth.

"One sec," Barry said.

He dashed away, untied everyone, rounded them all up around Ollie (Diggle hated that), and said, "Teaming up, yes or no?"

"Yes!" Said Cisco.

"He has a point about the secret identities," Pointed our Diggle.

"We still need to get our two guys," Said Caitlin.

"I vote yes," said Felicity.

"I don't like this," Said Roy.

"They flattened us," Said Thea. "If they couldn't defeat Simon on their own, then we can't." Everyone looked at Oliver.

Oliver ground his teeth together and turned to Bruce/Batman.

"Fine," said Oliver. "Your city, your rules. But don't ever tie me to a chair again. Or drug me."

"Or us!" Said Roy.

"Or my team," agreed Oliver.

"Agreed," Said Batman.


	8. The One with the Fight (Part 1)

 

**The Batcave**

"Why is everyone standing around in the dark?" Came a polished, English voice.

The large overhead blue-tinged lights came on and the size of the three-storied cavern was revealed.

And the huge bank of computers, the at least two cars, and a half-built plane, and a few motorcycles.

And Alfred coming down an elevator with a gurney full of cases. "Your gear, sirs, and ladies," Said Alfred, calmly delivering everything to Team Arrow and Team Flash. Flash changed pretty instantly.

"Wait," Said Diggle, holding his case of the stuff. "The car was locked with a bioelectronic code."

"Was it?" Said the Butler mildly. He walked away to grab a box over by the computers while Diggle gaped at him. Obviously, this Butler was more than he appeared, too.

"Master Bruce, the ear-comms," Said Alfred, coming forward with a box of high-grade communicators that were made to fit snugly into everyone's ears. They were even labeled with their code names.

"You have nice toys," Said Felicity, taking hers out and examining it. "These will read bio-signs, too, right?"

"Heartbeat, blood pressure, only," Said Dick regretfully. "We couldn't stick more things in them and keep them that small. They also have a tracker in addition to basic encrypted communication."

"You may keep them at the end of this if you like," Said Bruce.

"Sweet," said Cisco.

"No," Said Arrow. "And have you listening to everything we say?"

Bruce smiled thinly. "Touché."

"Master Dick, what did you do to your wrist?" Asked Alfred.

"It was Flash' fault," Said Dick.

Alfred's retort And Flash's protests were interrupted by the computer bank suddenly leaping from standby to full alert mode and a flashing bat appeared on three separate screens.

"Three alerts!" Said Dick, he slipped his mask back on his face and Team Arrow Finished arming themselves.

Batman cursed - cowl in place- "We took too long...Robin! Get on a brace, take pain meds, and then take Speedy and Arsenal with you to Gotham Electrical - someone is trying to disable the power plant."

"On it!" Robin said. "Speedy, Arsenal! Get on two of those motorcycles!" He dry-swallowed about three pain medication pills, ignored the suggestion to grab a wrist brace and then jumped down from the second story onto the red motorcycle that was obviously his while the others revved two other cycles to life.

Batman had continued snapping out orders while the kids did this, and Flash was out the door along with the motorcycles. On his way to the docks to stop a shipment.

Diggle and Arrow ran to get into the larger Batmobile (say what now?) while Batman snapped at his computer. "Temporary admin access, Team Arrow. Smoke. Team Flash, Vibe. Team Flash, Frost."

"I don't go by Frost," Protested Caitlin, but Batman was already running away.

"Watch our bio-signs, and direct," he yelled over his shoulder.

Then Batman jumped into the driver seat of the Batmobile and, with a squeal of tires, took off towards downtown.

In the sudden silence, Alfred suddenly protested, "Did Master Dick put on the wrist brace?"

"Ugh...no?" Suggested Vibe. Alfred sighed.

" _It would have slowed me down_ ," Came Robin's voice from the computer and Felicity jumped.

"Oh, this is on," Said Felicity.

" _Yes, dear,_ " Said Arrow from the Batmobile. "It's on."

" _I'm on the scene_ ," Said Flash. "Taking care of the baddies!" Caitlin lowered the volume on Flash's mic and went back to triangulating radio signals on a map, trying to pinpoint the exact location of that GPD on the streets.

* * *

Zooming down back alleys, Arsenal turned to give Robin a grin. "It would have slowed you down, huh?"

"You haven't seen my fly quite yet!" Robin shot back, smiling. He took a corner so tightly that one of his knees almost hit the ground. Speedy took it at a more reasonable speed and fell slightly behind as Arsenal also took it like a hooligan and did rub his knees against the ground. But the body armor protected him from road rash.

"We did see you," shouted Speedy. "On our first night! Jumping across buildings like a circus freak."

Robin laughed. "I am a circus freak! Think you can handle that?"

"You're on!" Yelled Arsenal.

"All right, follow me!" And Robin took another sharp corner to start up a pile of trash cans and boxes that took them to the roofs.

"Woohoo!" Yelled Speedy as they gunned the motorcycles, leaping from building to building in a reckless race.

" _What are you three doing?_!" Felicity demanded in their ear. But they ignored the mission control and kept going - driving the cycles right off the roof and into the group of masked men with guns who were standing guard in front of that power plant.

"Hi!" Said Robin brightly, jumping off the motorcycle while it was still in motion and standing in front of the man who seemed like the leader. "I have some friends today."

The would-be power thieves didn't have much time to react before they found themselves fighting three young vigilantes.

* * *

_"The kids have engaged the power plant group_ ," Caitlin reported over the comm.

"We're arriving in Downtown now," Said Batman. "Looks like we have a hostage situation at the bank..?

"What do these people want, anyway?" Diggle demanded. "Power plant? Boats? Money?"

"One of these is a diversion," muttered Arrow.

The eye was suddenly lit by a fork of lightning that came down to strike the top of the bank building. Rain began to pour from the sky. Diggle sighed. "This just got a lot more difficult."

"Just a regular night in Gotham," muttered Batman. He rammed the Batmobile into the back of a police van.

"What the hell?" Arrow cursed.

"Police van XX525 was stolen two weeks ago," Said Batman.

As if to prove his point, someone poked open a window and let loose a volley of bullets. They just bounced off the Batmobile. Batman looked at his two passengers. "We'll have to be quick," he said. "They'll not stop to reload - someone else will take the shooters place. They'll be less than a second of delay."

"That's enough," Said Arrow, stringing his bow and holding a smoke arrow at the ready.

Batman gave him a half-smile. "Three...two...NOW!"

They flung the doors open and charged...

* * *

Flash was done clearing out the dock. The baddies were unconscious and tied to a few lamp posts. The military-grade weapons they were smuggling were all disabled and secured. So why did something still feel wrong?

"Hey, Team," Said Flash, pressing his finger to his ear to re-activate the comm. "Any more bad guys over here? That seemed a bit short."

" _No more enemy radio chatter by you,_ " Felicity replied. " _You want to go help one of the other teams_?"

"Something doesn't feel right," muttered Flash. "Vibe...can you give me a fix on Simon? This was where he was, right?"

" _I thought we said that me vibing Simon was bad_?" Said Cisco.

"Vibe," Complained Flash.

* * *

" _Okay, Okay_." Back in the Batcave, Cisco stepped away from the computer banks and rolled his eyes. "Only when it's dangerous, why do they only make me do this when it's dangerous." He muttered crossly. " _Okay then..._ " He slipped on the visor and reached across Gotham.

Mr. Thunder was easy to find. He was hurling lightning bolts like he was Zeus or something, having a great time as he tried to squash Batman and Green Arrow. Simon was a much subtler mind...and was right next to Flash.

Vibe jumped back to the present with an oath and yelled, "Flash! Simon's right next to you!"

* * *

Flash instantly sped a few feet away, looking around. But there was no one there but the unconscious bodies of the men from earlier.

"You sure, Vibe?" Flash Asked over the comm.

" _Positive_ ," Said Vibe. " _I think you're on top of him now_."

"On top? Vibe, I'm on the dock..." Flash' voice trailed away as he examined the dock. On top of him...?

"Hey, computer team," Said Flash. "How deep is the Gotham Bay?"

" _Checking_ ," Said Felicity, looking away from the bio-sign read out and pulling up the information. "I _t's twenty-five feet at its deepest_ ," she informed him.

"And the ground?"

" _Bedrock_ ," she replied.

"So...there could be an underwater hideout?"

" _Ugh...technically possible_ ," Felicity admitted.

"All right," Said Flash. "I wish I had scuba gear."

" _We have some at the Cave, Master Flash_ ," came Alfred's voice faintly.

"It'll take too long," Said Flash.

" _Then take some from the coast guard boat_ ," Pointed our Caitlin.

"Oh," Said Flash. He raided the coast guard boat, put on a mask, tank and grabbed a flashlight, and then dove into the water.

* * *

Meanwhile, Green Arrow was really getting tired of getting almost electrocuted every time he got near the bank.

"Persistent isn't he!" Diggle Yelled.

"Yeah," added Arrow. "And I don't think he's here for the money. Batman! What else is in here?"

"Batcave! What else is stored in the bank!" Batman snapped.

" _Working!_ " Felicity said over the comm. She deftly hacked her way in and began scanning recent orders. " _Um...some scientist called Zatara recently got a safety deposit box!" She related to the Batman-Arrow-Spartan Trio. "It has a ton of security features on it - they're trying to hack through them right now._ "

"Slow them down!" Said Arrow and Batman simultaneously (to their displeasure.)

" _On it_!" Said Felicity.

* * *

Cisco looked over her shoulder and, with a few keystrokes, transferred some of the info to another computer screen, and called up a video feed of the deposit box first being opened. He frowned and ran it again, zooming in on...a diary?

"I think these people are after information," Cisco relayed over the comm. The only thing in there is a journal."

" _Who the hell is this Zatara guy?_!" Demanded Diggle. He was getting tired. It didn't matter that most of the men were already down cause the lightning guy was still frying anything and anyone that got too close.

"A theoretical physicist," said Caitlin instantly. "He used to work with Wells."

" _Guess he found out something these people are really anxious to get a hold of,_ " said Diggle.

* * *

"We need a way in where Mr. Thunder won't see us," Said Arrow.

"Agreed," Said Batman. He ducked another blow from Mr. Thunder and his eyes landed on a manhole cover. "I have an idea."

* * *

While all this has been happening, Flash had - with great difficulty - hacked himself into the box-like structure he had found under the dock. To his worry, his metabolism meant that he was burning through the limited supply of oxygen much too quickly. He was very relieved when he'd managed to get inside, and even more relieved when the water drained and he was once again able to remove that mask. The air inside of the box didn't taste stale or boxed in. In fact, it smelled like the air outside - the mix of water and Gotham City.

There's a direct line to the outside, realized Flash. He fought back his normal impulse to dash around the place and tried to be sneaky opening the door and peering inside.

As the entire thing was only the one room, the effect was completely lost. It also didn't help that the sole occupant was already looking straight at him with a twisted smile.

"Mr. Flash," said Simon. "Took you long enough."

Simon was sitting in a leather chair, surrounded by computer consoles that were all powered down. Flash guesses that this area was usually used by someone else, and Simon had been temporarily stashed here to keep him out of the way during the battle.

**You are correct of course** , said Simon's voice in Flash's head.  **My talents lie in an area different from fighting. After Batman and his little pet almost managed to get to me last night, my associates decided that it was safer to keep me here. Unfortunately, the oafs upstairs didn't seem to slow you down for very long.**

Flash realized that he hadn't moved yet. Indeed, moving or fighting in any way seemed like a poor decision. Didn't he want to do something else? Something like,  **sleep?**

With a jolt, Flash realized that Simon was already influencing his thoughts and forced himself into the present.

Simon's face tightened in annoyance.  **I'll win** , Simon promised.

"We'll see about that!" Flash ran at Simon at top speed.

No, he hadn't moved. He had just thought he had moved. He was still frozen like an idiot by the airlock door.

**Simon says, sleep!**  Simon thought-yelled.

**No!**  Flash thought back hard and once again moved as fast as he could. Running around in circles around the much slighter man, sucking the oxygen away from Simon's lungs and rendering him unconscious.

No. It was just an image in Flash' brain once again.

Flash let out a wordless shout.

Simon laughed.  **But this is so much fun,**  Simon said.  **Much more fun than those depressing images found in the minds of your new friends. Would you like to see?**

Suddenly, Flash was in a circus tent.  **Watching a family of acrobats fall, spin, and catch themselves in a breathless dance without a net. Suddenly, the trapeze broke and the man and woman fell to their deaths while the child, a young boy of eight or nine years old, let out a scream.**

Flash jolted out of the vision, a cold sweat across his brow. He knew (although he couldn't have explained how) that he had just seen Dick's parents die from Bruce's point of view. The reason for the angry look in Robin's eyes when their fight with Simon had been mentioned.

**Would you like to see more?**  Asked Simon, clearly enjoying himself.  **Or perhaps I can get something juicy from your memories?**

**No**! Yelled Flash. And he put every ounce of his strength into speeding up his thoughts.

Flash had never done this before, but it stood up to reason that his thoughts could move just as fast as his legs. After all, wasn't his brain controlling the movement of his legs. He pushed his thoughts round and round, imagining himself racing in dizzying circles all around Central City, dragging Simon along for the ride.

**Stop!**  Simon protested. **Simon says, stop!**

But Flash kept going, dragging Simon through the recesses of his mind, flashing through scenery in his memory too quickly for the other man to keep up.

"Stop!" Yelled Simon.

But he'd said the words out loud. Flash pushed himself even harder, teeth gritted together and sweating furiously as if he were running in real life.

Simon screamed in agony and passed out from the mental strain. Flash spurred onwards in real life this time, tying Simon securely to the chair with his own clothing and the sagged against the door, feeling weak.

" _FLASH!_ " Felicity, Cisco, and Caitlin all yelled in his ear.

"What?" Flash asked, disorientated.

" _Holy Shit I thought you died_ ," Cisco complained over the comm. " _Your heart rate was all over the place._ "

"A little run-in with Simon," Said Flash, gulping in huge breaths. "I won but I need a minute."

" _We may not have a minute,_ " Said Felicity. " _Mr. Thunder apparently decided that he doesn't much feel like robbing the bank and is just trying to bring it down. And Arrow and Spartan are underneath it!_ "

"They're under the bank?" Flash repeated.

" _Yes!_ " Felicity said.

"On my way," Said Flash. He took another look at Simon, made sure the bonds really were secure. Deciding to forgo the scuba gear, he flooded the airlock once more and pushed off for the surface.

* * *

"Thunder-dude is what?" Said Arsenal into the comm. Robin and Speedy paused in tying up their disabled enemies to hear the reply.

" _Apparently Simon was doing some sort of mission coordination with his mind control,_ " said Caitlin.  _"The second Simon was distracted with Flash he just went completely berserk. He's already demolished half of downtown, GPD can't handle the evacuation on their own."_

"Any word from my brother?" Speedy Demanded.

" _The comm isn't working through the walls of the underground bank area_ ," Said Felicity regretfully. " _But we still have steady heartbeats_."

"We need to go help," Said Arsenal.

" _No_ ," cut in Batman. It sounded as if he were a bit winded but his voice was never the less commanding. " _Go help evacuate civilians_."

"But..."

" _Help the evacuation_!" Batman snapped. And then exited the channel once more.

"Let's go," Said Robin, already on the way to his motorcycle. He grabbed onto the handle to swing himself on and winced. Visibly.

"Hey, you okay?" Arsenal called.

"The painkillers wore off," Said Robin tightly. "I'll be fine. Let's go."

"We're going to help Arrow, right?" Said Speedy.

"Batman said..."

"I don't care what Batman said!"

Robin hesitated the engine idling. "Okay, we get civilians out of immediate danger and then go help the other team, ok?"

"Fair enough," said Arsenal. "Lead the way!"

Robin nodded and revved the engine.

* * *

The last lighting bolt had burned a hole right through Batman's cape. Which was very, very impressive since the thing was straight Kevlar. It also meant that Batman was out-matched. Luckily, that didn't mean he was out-thought. Not yet, anyway.

"Not much of a team player, are you?" Batman taunted him from the top of the bank. The goal was for him to keep his attention on Batman while Arrow and Spartan fought the group inside. It was barely working.

"With the power plant team having failed, I'm not getting my end of the deal," growled Thunder. "So I may as well have some fun." He outstretched his hands and Batman activated his rappel line just in time to swing out of the way.

"Why would someone who can control lightning want something at a power plant?" Muttered Batman. He tried to picture Gotham Electrical in his head. He'd been there a few times to help install no alternators - Wayne Tech - to decrease the cost of electricity for the common citizen. There wasn't much there besides the...the specs for a portable generator.

"You can't generate the lighting yourself, can you?" Guessed Bruce. "You need a storm! So Gotham was the perfect staging area."

"You're clever," snarled Thunder. "But you aren't fast." He brought up both hands and a forest of lightning rained down from the sky. He was right, Batman wasn't fast enough to avoid it all.

* * *

Inside the bank, Arrow and Spartan had managed to take down all but one of the thieves. Unfortunately, the last thief was holding a gun to that head of one of the bank security.

"You've lost," Arrow told the thief. "I suggest you let the man go."

"Stay away or I shoot!" The thief yelled. "I'll do it."

"Please," the security man begged. "Please, I have a daughter."

Spartan tightened his grip on his own gun, looking distraught. Most likely thinking of his own baby girl.

Think, Oliver, Arrow begged himself quietly. Think.


	9. The One with the Fight (Part 2)

When the entire armada of lightning came down on the entire area around the bank and struck down Batman, it had also hit a large variety of buildings in the surrounding area. Including the already unstable construction site that Robin and Speedy had been using to bypass the crowd of police on the street and get to that bank.

While neither had been hit, the steel and wood skeleton of the barely-begun building they had been on had shuddered and promptly collapsed inward.

Speedy screamed as she found herself unable to grasp a single pylon and dropped straight down. Only to have Robin grab her hand as he managed to swing his body towards one of the supports and latch on with the other hand.

Any relief Speedy felt about having her fall stop was arrested as Robin let out a scream of pain and she realized that the hand she was so desperately clutching was Robin's left hand, the one with the broken wrist. And she could feel the bones breaking in her hand.

"Robin's heartbeat is off the chart!" Caitlin yelled from the ear comm. " _What's going on_?"

Speedy looked up at the younger boy's pale face and he shook his head minutely, his breath coming out in little pain-filled gasps. The meaning was clear - I can't waste energy talking.

"We fell," Speedy explained over the comm. "We fell but Robin caught us. He's using the broken wrist and he's in pain."

" _Arsenal, you better get back there and help them_ ," Suggested Felicity.

No answer.

" _Arsenal? Where...damn we lost his communicator. He must have followed Green Arrow and Spartan inside. Flash, where are you_?"

"I _got waylaid evacuating civilians after that last volley_ ," Came Flash's breathless voice. " _And Simon's little fun with me has me moving a bit slower than normal."_

_"Flash, you're at about 50% you're normal top speed_ ," Said Caitlin anxiously.

" _You don't say_?" Snapped Flash.

" _Batman's blood pressure is still low - I think he's unconscious_ ," added Felicity.

Speedy glanced up at Robin again after the last comment over the comm and saw the stress lines on Robin's face tighten even more. Come on kid, she urged silently.

"Well, what do we have here?" Came a leering voice.

Robin and Speedy both looked up at the maniacal grin of Thunder.

* * *

Arsenal snuck up behind the would-be thief and almost casually broke his arm while twisting it away from his captive. The gun went off while pointed harmlessly at the wall and Green Arrow let a stunning arrow fly and knock the guy out for a few hours.

The security guard sank to the ground in a shaking relief.

"How'd you know we were in trouble?" Asked Spartan.

Arsenal snorted. "You're always in trouble."

* * *

Thunder pointed down his hand, flexing his fingers dramatically. "Too bad you can't actually fly, Robin," taunted Robin.

A furious look laced Robin's eyes and he glanced back down to meet Speedy's eyes. Thunder kept talking, saying something about taking down the Batman, but the two almost-strangers blocked him out. Robin glanced at his own utility belt, and then back at Speedy and she nodded.

"No one will ever tell me what to do!" Declared Thunder. "Not Black Mask! Not Simon! Not even your precious Batman! And definitely," he grinned down at them and the sky rumbled ominously. "Not the two of you!"

Robin swung Speedy up with all his might, letting out a scream of pain that made everyone back at the Batcave jump and finally alerting the trio in the bank to their predicament as they exited the jamming influences of the inner vaults.

Speedy grabbed something from Robin's belt as she pulled herself forward as Robin threw. She just managed to get her free hand around Thunder's ankle and pull herself onto the catwalk as Thunder stumbled back instinctively. Before he could reorient himself to the new position of his prey, Speedy jumped to her feet and slashed Robin's baterang across his face.

Thunder yelled, took a step back, and with a startled screech fell backward off the narrow beam and down five stories to land on his back. Speedy didn't waste any time feeling sorry for their would-be killer (although she knew she would get a lecture from Oliver later.) She looked down and, to her surprise, saw that Robin had somehow managed to get both his legs around the pole where his hand had been, so he was now hanging upside down like - Speedy couldn't help but let a grim smile flit across her face - like a bat.

"Hey, kid, how you doing?" She called.

"Going...into...shock," Robin gasped out through gritted teeth. "Tendons...torn..."

Speedy's stomach flip-flopped as she imagined he injury. The bones had dislocated and then the tendons had torn. It was a wonder the teenager was conscious at all.

"Hold on," she said. She looked around desperately for rope or something. "I'll get you up here."

There was a mechanical buzz and a rappelling line attached itself to the catwalk. Speedy tensed, ready to fight once more, only to have Batman swing into view. More tenderly than Speedy would have ever expected, he swung Robin into an upright position and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. He looked up at Speedy and she registered that he looked a little singed. "Can you get down?" Batman asked her.

Speedy nodded.

"Good," said Batman. "Have your brother and Spartan take the motorcycles back with you. I'm getting Robin home."


	10. The One with Gotham PD (and the Goodbye)

"You okay, Flash?" Arrow asked Flash finally showed up. Moving about half as quickly Oliver knew he could.

"Simon isn't an easy person to fight," Said Flash wearily. "We should probably go and grab him though. I left him tied to a chair in an underwater box but..."

"You left him where?" Asked Oliver. Flash just looked at him.

"Okay, Okay," said Arrow. "Speedy, you'll have to share a motorcycle with me."

"Okay," Said Speedy, sounding distracted.

"What happened to our Thunder-dude?" Asked Spartan.

"Ugh..." Speedy looked and everyone followed her gaze.

It was quiet for a moment. Oliver motioned that everyone should turn off their comm's. Once it was done, he looked at Speedy expectantly.

"It wasn't my intention," Said Speedy finally.

"We'll discuss it later," Said Arrow grimly. "No one tells Batman, got it? He's even bigger on this no killing rule than I am."

"He'll future it out," Said Flash wearily.

"Then I'll tell him," decided Oliver. "All right. Comm's back on. Let's go get Simon."

* * *

Getting Simon was much more of a process than anyone really wanted to do. As it involved putting a scuba tank on the unconscious man and dragging him to that surface. By the time they'd gotten all that figured out, Gotham PD had shown up to take Simon off their hands. Which wasn't ideal at all.

"I thought we were going to put him on the island with, you know, adequate protection," Flash muttered to Arrow.

"Not much we can do right now," hissed Arrow, straining to smile at the police commissioner someone-Gordon.

Suddenly, the phone of one of the policemen started ringing. With an apologetic look at Gordon, the cop answered it, "Hello?"

His face blanched and he stammered, "Y...Yes, s-s-sir."

He extended the phone to Gordon. "It's for y-you. It's Batman."

Gordon looked irritated and grabbed the cell.

"I wish you would stop showing off!" Gordon snapped into the cell. He paused, mustache quivering as he listened to the man on the other end. "Yeah, we have Simon and...no, I'm not handing him over to the Green Arrow!"

Arrow and Flash glanced at each other exchanged surprised glances.

"You'll vouch for him, huh?" Huffed Gordon. "I don't care. Since when do you have friends? Frankly, I'm a little surprised that you're not here yourself...what?"

Gordon's face instantly changed to one of concern. "Is the kid, ok?"

He let out a relieved sigh. "That's good...outsourcing, huh?" Gordon glanced at Arrow and his team again. "I guess..."

Gordon sighed again, but this time it was sort of relieved. "I guess that's true. I..."

Gordon paused then rolled his eyes and handed the cell phone back to his still surprised and sheepish officer. "He hung up on me," grumbled Gordon, although not to anyone in particular. He looked back at Green Arrow.

"Batman says that we don't have the necessary facilities to hold on to Simon for very long. He highly suggests that I let you take him instead."

"That may be wise," Said Green Arrow evenly.

Grinding his teeth loudly, Gordon went to go tell his men that they were turning Simon over to the group from Star City.

"I guess Bats trusts us," whispered Flash to Arrow. Arrow nodded, trying not to feel too pleased.

* * *

Oliver had done his thing and gotten a hold of Argus for Simon to be shipped off to their secure island.

Barry had collapsed, exhausted when they got back to the Batcave and a somewhat singed Bruce suggested that they stay at his place for the night. As it was already nearing dawn, Barry accepted without any hesitation and Oliver conceded that they could use the extra sleep..

 

**Wayne Manor**

The next morning, Alfred had a heaping plate of eggs and another of bacon on the dining room table before Diggle was awake. Which was ridiculous. Everyone else wandered in at various stages, helping themselves to coffee and reading the paper (either Gotham's daily paper which had been on the table or their own cities news via apps.)

Instead of appearing from upstairs, Bruce came up from the Batcave when Felicity, Diggle, Oliver and Barry were all awake.

"Night owl?" Asked Felicity.

"Actually," Said Bruce evenly, "I went to go collect Dick's uniform and throw it into the wash. He was pretty out of it when I got him back last night and that was not high on the list of priorities."

"Oh, well..." Felicity hesitated then asked. "Is he okay?"

Bruce shrugged. "No, but he's been worse. The bad thing about it being his wrist is that he'll be stuck on the ground. Which he'll hate."

"Watch me fly," muttered Barry.

"Sorry?" Said Bruce.

"Something Simon...Ugh..." Barry faltered under Bruce's sharp gaze.

"Simon got into your head?" Asked Diggle, alarmed.

"I got him out," Protested Barry. "Eventually."

"What did Simon show you?" Asked Bruce. His voice was even but Oliver saw the other man's knuckles go white as Bruce clutched the side of the table.

"I think I saw Dick's parents die," Said Barry. "But once I realized what Simon was doing...I out-thought him. I think. I figured I must think faster than people, too."

Bruce, to everyone's shock, gave Barry a fleeting half-smile. "Good job."

"Hey, Bruce," said Oliver. "I...I owe you an apology. I should have asked for your...cooperation from the second we realized that we were heading to Gotham."

"No harm done," Said Bruce. He rolled back his shoulders and there was a loud pop. Bruce made a face. "I need a chiropractor."

Felicity started to laugh. "I told that to these two last week," she said motioning to Diggle and Arrow.

"Not me," Said Barry. "I'm limber."

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but Felicity thought this was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. Her laugh was infectious so all the men were grinning broadly when Arsenal wandered in, confused about all the noise.

Teams Arrow and Flash were all packed up to go and about to head to the train when Dick hurried down the stairs to say goodbye. He still looked half asleep but seemed determined to talk with everyone one last time.

"Hey," said Thea as soon as the necessary good-bye's and feel-betters were said. "I needed to say...thank you. Thanks for saving my life."

"My pleasure," Said Dick, flashing her a tired but pleased smile. "Maybe I can swing by and help out you and Arsenal some time. We made a pretty good team."

"Yeah," said Thea. "That'd be cool!"

"We could be like a young justice league," Said Roy. And he gently clapped Dick on the back.

Bruce shook everyone's hand. Alfred gave Cisco a bag with the dessert from the night before. And Team Arrow and Team Flash headed out. The evil in the world now knew that, when necessary, the Batman would team up with Green Arrow and the Flash. Which was, as Cisco would say, pretty damn awesome.


End file.
